Job 29

1 And Job again took up his measure, and said,

And Job adds to lift up his allegory and says:

2 Oh that it were with me as in the months of old, as in the days, when, GOD, used to watch over me;

“Who makes me as [in] months past, As [in] the days of God’s preserving me?

3 When his lamp shone over my head, by whose light, I could go through darkness;

In His causing His lamp to shine on my head, By His light I walk [through] darkness.

4 As I was, in the days of my prime, when, the intimacy of GOD, was over my tent;

As I have been in days of my maturity, And the counsel of God on my tent.

5 While yet the Almighty was with me, round about me, were my young men;

When yet the Mighty One [is] with me. Around me—my young ones,

6 When my steps were bathed in milk, and, the rock, poured out beside me, rivulets of oil:

When washing my goings with butter, And the firm rock [is] with me—streams of oil.

7 When I went out to the gate unto the city, in the open place, made ready my seat,

When I go out to the gate by the city, In a broad place I prepare my seat.

8 Young men saw me, and hid themselves, and, the aged, arose—they stood;

Youths have seen me, and they have been hidden, And the aged have risen—they stood up.

9 Rulers, restrained speech, and, a hand, laid they on their mouth;

Princes have kept in words, And they place a hand on their mouth.

10 The voice of nobles, was hushed, and their tongue to their palate, did cleave;

The voice of leaders has been hidden, And their tongue has cleaved to the palate.

11 When, the ear, heard, then it pronounced me happy, When, the eye, saw, then it bare me witness;

For the ear heard, and declares me blessed, And the eye has seen, and testifies [to] me.

12 Because I used to deliver the oppressed who was crying out for aid, the fatherless also, and him that had no helper;

For I deliver the afflicted who is crying, And the fatherless who has no helper.

13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish, upon me was wont to descend, and, the heart of the widow, caused I to sing for joy;

The blessing of the perishing comes on me, And I cause the heart of the widow to sing.

14 Righteousness, I put on, and it clothed me, Like a robe and turban, was my, justice;

I have put on righteousness, and it clothes me, My justice as a robe and a crown.

15 Eyes, became I to the, blind, and, feet to the lame, was, I!

I have been eyes to the blind, And I [am] feet to the lame.

16 A father, was, I, to the needy, and, as for the cause which I knew not, I used to search it out;

I [am] a father to the needy, And the cause I have not known I search out.

17 And I shivered the fangs of the perverse, —and, out of his teeth, I tare the prey.

And I break the jaw-teeth of the perverse, And from his teeth I cast away prey.

18 Then said I, Like a stem, shall I grow old, yea, as the sand, shall I multiply days:

And I say, I expire with my nest, And I multiply days as the sand.

19 My root, is laid open to the waters, and, the dew, shall lodge for the night in my boughs;

My root is open to the waters, And dew lodges on my branch.

20 Mine honour, shall be young again with me, and, my bow, in my hand, be renewed.

My glory [is] fresh with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.

21 To me, men hearkened, and waited, and kept silence for my counsel;

They have listened to me, Indeed, they wait, and are silent for my counsel.

22 After I had spoken, they spake not again, and, upon them, used my speech to drop;

After my word they do not change, And my speech drops on them,

23 And they waited, as for rain, for me, and, their mouths, they opened wide for the spring-rain;

And they wait for me as [for] rain, And they have opened wide their mouth [As] for the spring rain.

24 I laughed at them—they lost confidence, and, the light of my countenance, they suffered not to fail;

I laugh at them—they give no credence, And do not cause the light of my face to fall.

25 I chose out their way, and sat chief, —and abode, as king, in an army, as one who, to mourners, giveth comfort.

I choose their way, and sit [as] head, And I dwell as a king in a troop, When he comforts mourners.”